Interns in LA From Elon University

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The “Switching Teams” Team

Before the second round of short films appear on the blog, I wanted to commend the talent and production team of the comedy “Switching Teams.” This group of around ten students filmed on a FRIDAY night until around 1 am, all day Saturday outside in the scorching heat, and at 9am on Sunday morning to top it all off.

Mike Pacicco edited and co-produced the short film, and in our second film together, he proved how hard he can work, and how effective he can be as a leader. Mike sat in front of final cut pro through hours of footage, countless late nights, and broken hard drives. He transformed himself into an expert editor this summer.

Chelsea Levalley and I co-directed “Switching Teams,” and I could not have been happier with how we worked as a unit, feeding and learning from each other all along the way. She worked with the talent while I ran the camera, and by watching her, I was able to learn a lot about how to work with actors, and not mess up their mind set, which is what I’d been previously doing. The improvement in directing is clearly visible from my last film to this one, and she’s the reason why.

Brandon Curry carried the film in the lead role, committing to a difficult part and doing every crazy thing the script asked of him. He proved how dynamic he can be as an actor, and never complained once throughout the late nights, early mornings, and extreme heat. We all know Brandon is a funny guy, and I think he definitely has the chops for a future in comedy.

MJ Soler was the art director for the film, tracking down props like voodoo dolls and Gay/Straight Alliance banners, and finding some of the costumes that absolutely made the film, such as Kurt’s letter Jacket and the Janitor’s jump suit. The supporting actors in the film were Alex Carmine, Rachel Fine, Patrick McCabe, and an actor from outside our program, Adam Jay. These actors did a phenomenal job of creating this high school world, and once again, doing all of the crazy stuff the script demanded of them. Jamie O’Brien and Susan Esrock were production assistants in addition to acting in the film. While on set, they did everything they could to help, and when they were done, they asked if there was anything more they could do.

This team worked through all of the adversity to produce a project which I hope will make you laugh, and then make you step back and think about an important issue in our society today. I know I had a blast making this film and I hope you guys did too. Enjoy “Switching Teams!”